Learningrefers to a relatively permanent change in behaviour which comes with experience. This experience does not have to affect the learner directly: we can learn vicariously by observing events that affect others.
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We also learn even when we are not trying
to do so. Consumers, for example, recognize many brand names and can hum many
product jingles, even for those product categories they themselves do not use. This
casual, unintentional acquisition of knowledge is known as incidental learning. Like the
concept of perception discussed in the last chapter, learning is an ongoing process. Our
knowledge about the world is constantly being revised as we are exposed to new stimuli
and receive feedback that allows us to modify behaviour in other, similar situations. The
concept of learning covers a lot of ground, ranging from a consumer’s simple association
between a stimulus such as a product logo (such as Coca-Cola) and a response (e.g.
‘refreshing soft drink’) to a complex series of cognitive activities (like writing an essay
on learning for a consumer behaviour exam). Psychologists who study learning have
advanced several theories to explain the learning process. These range from those focusing on simple stimulus–response associations to perspectives that regard consumers as
complex problem-solvers who learn abstract rules and concepts by observing others.
Understanding these theories is important to marketers as well, because basic learning
principles are at the heart of many consumer purchase decisions. In this chapter we’ll
explore how learned associations among feelings, events and products – and the memories they evoke – are an important aspect of consumer behaviour